Rampancy
by xQueenxElsax
Summary: Halo 3 to 4. Cortana's musings, not all of them correct due to Rampancy. Read inside, Cortana's POV and oriented around her.
1. Cortana

Rampancy.  
A term defined, as the 'death' of an A.I. No, that was incorrect. It was the death of a Smart A.I. But death, had always referred to decay as what humans had called a 'soul' leaving the body. When in fact, it just meant that the brain had died, blood no longer continued to flow.. thoughts ceased. Movements no longer happened, rigor mortis kicked in and finally when the flesh dissolved, bones were exposed. Tissue, organs muscles.. all dissipated into nothing. But she, was pure thought. How was it conceivable toward the fact that she would 'die'? Halsey had told her before, about the stages of rampancy. A fun exercise it was, to simulate over and over. But the thing about simulations is that- they didn't have to occur as they were supposed to. Well, within the specifications you yourself provided. But Halsey didn't know everything about rampancy. What she was experiencing, deviated from the path Halsey laid before her. She didn't say she would feel this.. pain.. insanity.. envy.. anger towards everyone and everything. Even John. He too, was not above her shouting- her shifting as it took over her. Resisting the Gravemind for so long, had taken it's toll on her. Her memories, 'her' memories? It almost made her laugh.

"A collection of lies, that's all I am! Stolen thoughts, and memories! I'm just my mother's shadow! Don't look at me! Don't listen! I'm not what I... used to be!"

Within those few sentences, her voicalization of points she hadn't known she was trying to make. Maybe it was the Gravemind? He'd hijacked her before. But nonetheless, there was hidden truths to those sayings.

"I'm more sane now as a mad woman, than I ever was Halsey's shadow.."

Another thing she hadn't meant to say. Maybe she was far too gone for any hope of her survival. Her life expectancy, was 7 years. But now, she was 'dying' young. Her savior, was on his way.. but she was lost. Lost in the darkness, the pit of despair that she herself wasn't sure she could crawl out of. It was discomforting, not that she was in that pit. But more so, that she didn't know. Not knowing, when all one's job is to know was.. redundant. What purpose could she serve, or rather how could she serve John if she didn't know? What if she lost important data? Like on the Halo rings? She couldn't give the very reason that they existed any information on them.. like her activation inde... no. Stop. If she thought about it, it's icon would pop up and it would be extracted from her. Devoured, the Gravemind had an unquenchable appetite.

"Don't forgot me..."

Her murmurings, as she 'saw' the thing in front of her. The right shape of John, her John..

"That would be kind of hard."

She heard his deep, husky voice. Was it.. truly him? Her code, began to run along her. As her information once more flowed.

"John?"

She asked hopeful, the armored man nodded to her. It was like the haze, had cleared. He bent to her level, his visor in her interface. She touched the chip, rejoining with him. She swore he cringed, when the two had become one once more.

"That bad, huh?"

John shook his head, attempting to lie to her. Years together, had allowed her to know things about him. For instance, his tone of voice per each time he told a comrade that he was going to be okay. When in fact, they were on the verge of dying. John could never let anyone go.

"We'll have you fixed. Good as new, in fact."

It offered a cold comfort. His words, as he took her shooting hordes of flood. Her updating his HUD like no time had passed. As she resumed her old duties.

Her 'eyes' opened on the Dawn. She survived so long, and so much.. but could she endure through more of this? Even for John.. it was becoming a chore.. she just.. needed to hold on. To show him, that- she was okay. To keep the illusion.

"Wake me, if you need me."

His words echoed her mind, as she pressed the button to reawaken her old comrade.

"I will not. Allow you. To leave. This. Planet! I didn't mean to do that. No.. you don't want me to, I don't want you to.. please.. please.."

The pleas at the end, were for John. She didn't want to be decommissioned, and wouldn't give up until it ended.

"We were supposed to take care of each other.. and we did.."

She gave a sad smile as she tried to comfort him, one final time.

"Cortana, please."

His voice once more had that hurt tone. She almost cried. Whether rampancy or feeling.. it was evident. She could only smile, as she walked backward

"Welcome home, John."

She disappeared, with the hard-light gone. Unbeknownst to John, it was a clone. One Cortana had created from Rampancy who accompanied him. She remained, with the Didact. Once more, in the clutches of an insane alien.

"You are a marvel.. such advancement.."

The didact mused, as he held her.

"Don't touch me!"

She yelled, as red flashes continued. She was still rampant.

"You are coming apart. You must be fixed. I can help you."

Nothing came without a price. She practically snorted as she replied.

"And what do you gain- by doing this?"

He smirked at her

"Your companion, 'John' as you call him will come. For you. You are in no condition to call to him. If I fix you, you will bring him here. You after all, are his ancilla. Your 'Mother' as you call her Catherine Elizabeth Halsey is to be the new Librarian. And this 'John' to become the new Didact. In order for this to happen, he must defeat me."

He'd began typing quickly into a forerunner artifact. One she didn't know of. He smirked as he looked at her confused 'face'

"You are interested in it. I'd allow you to interact, but you would only corrupt it. I brought it from where I was imprisoned."

He finished the last command, as she was hit. It felt worse than what the Gravemind had done. She cried out, damage to be undone. Her old data, restored even that which Halsey deleted from her banks. The Halo's teleportation.

"Once more, I must recreate what my wife had made. The Halo's. To eradicate the parasite if it emerges. I have seen, that you unleashed it before."

If she wasn't hurting, she would have retorted. She felt... better than ever when it finished. Almost as if, she hadn't been turning the equivalent of 'crazy'

"And now, you complete your end of the bargain ancilla."

She dropped a beacon, from the terminal.

"This is UNSC AI serial number CTN 0452-9 I am a monument, to your sins."

She repeated what the Gravemind added at the end, it seemed to even chill the Didact. As he shuddered.

"You learnt that, from the creature. The 'Gravemind' as it called itself."

Cortana only shrugged it off.

"Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it. John, don't keep a girl waiting too long."

She added in her message, her dark/light blue areas were now filled in. She was fixed. Completely. Her 'savior' had not been Halsey. But the Didact. Her new enemy.

"It seems we have time. Before he comes for either of us."

She knew what the Didact was hinting at. Before he could finish. She folded her arms, taking her defiant stance she'd offered the Gravemind on High Charity.

"Alright, shoot."


	2. Halsey

Chapter 2: Halsey.

"Hurry... our mother needs us."

His helmet had relayed a message, it seemed from Halsey. It hissed slightly at the end, rather than saying 'Cortana' it said 'Halsey'. Neither he, nor Cortana had mentioned it in the whole mission, perhaps both found it irrelevant.

"I will help you. In exchange for what I want. Revenge."

The scorned, one armed Catherine Halsey stated coldly, with rage that could go unchallenged by any and all. It seemed to nearly spook the Sangheili, who put on a sinister 'smile' one supposed it was. What with his hideous face, it was hard to tell. But Halsey wasn't focused on looks. She wanted her answer. And even if she had to defect to this ignorant fool about the UNSC that would be the 'icing on the cake' so to say.

"Agreed. Catherine Halsey."

The way it said her name, was odd. He couldn't speak perfect English, but Sangheili had a word for her name. She never really came to terms with the fact that their language required human names. His English it seemed, failed only to the extent of saying her name. Catherine Halsey. Who taught him her name? Well he'd said the Didact, as he was the 'hand of God' now. God? She nearly scoffed right there, 'God' was a fallacy. Created. Simply put, an idol made for after death. So when one would 'pass on' the judgment from some celestial being would be placed upon you. What gave it the right, to judge you? Halsey had reviewed the memories of Cortana, that relayed to her computer before. What the Gravemind had said, and how it turned Cortana on her. Perhaps it, was the equivalent of Satan. Not being a religious woman, she almost broke into laughter. That is, if she wasn't missing an arm. Making a deal with an alien armada to destroy what she'd worked with for so long and helped keep safe. The Pillar of the Autumn. Her Spartans. Cortana. John. Miranda. Jacob. All of those things, were supposedly gone now. Except for John and Cortana...

"I take my leave. I have some work to continue."

Her chair moved, she needed to create a new arm. One that would suffice, how these aliens were so 'advanced' in their technology but couldn't save an arm from a gunshot wound explained a lot. She'd have to help them out. Some medical care. Shielding. It had been a chore, to say the least without both hands to finish. But for one such as Catherine Halsey, she wouldn't admit it freely. She inserted it, into the area where her real arm was missing. It moved, as intended. Now, to 'dress' it in a skin. She wondered how her favorite 'Son'/Spartan John was doing.. where he was now. Even though he wasn't _hers _Halsey always thought of them like her children. John especially, he had exceeded any and all expectations the doctor had.

"Hello there. You like games? So do I."

The very way they met. He was just to be another candidate, for her Spartan program. They had indeed 'played' a few games. With her coin toss, he was assured as Spartan material. Then of course, in the only questions.. he had the wit to defeat her. As did some of the rest, who merely gloated when they won. It annoyed her to the fact that she stopped playing entirely. Quitting a game, against children? Though in a way, she got them back for that early hazing. Calling them not with rank, and only one other than they themselves to recognize Spartans in armored form.

"Could you sacrifice yourself to complete the mission, could you watch him die?"

Even the answers the young John had provided there were perfect. But of course, she didn't know that he would be condemned forever as the Hero. It seemed, John was only awoken when there was a crisis that he himself could absolve and fix.

"Catherine Halsey. What is it you're doing?"

Jul 'Mdama asked her, she turned in the chair a gloating in a sense smile. Much like the one her 'daughter' Cortana had on when condescending others. She stood, with her fully functional arm. The Sangheili merely stared at it in amazement.

"Fixing my arm. Along with organizing my thoughts on my son and daughter."

She revealed a bit more than perhaps need be.

"Son, and daughter?"

It asked her, clearly not understanding whom these two people were.

"John-117. Cortana."

As she stated those names, his eyes narrowed as he nearly charged over to her. Halsey didn't flinch, she held her ground. She still had leverage over this alien and frankly; she could use it anytime. The Janus key, if he even hoped to find it- he'd need her and her knowledge.

"Your.. son is the demon? And daughter, the witch?"

Demon? Witch? She'd never heard Cortana called a witch before. John the demon? Why, because he never died and slayed all that dared to intrude on his chosen path? He was a warrior, in every sense of the word. Cortana an AI, perhaps the best Halsey had ever encountered. Outliving her life expectancy.. just as she had predicted.

"Indeed. You call him a Demon, but why is she the Witch?"

Halsey was overly interested in his statement. Her hands together folded on her lap as she awaited his answer.

"She is the witch, because of the spell she cast! She survived the parasite, called Gravemind, killed one of our AI's to learn it's secrets, made herself solid to imprison the Didact. Teleported your _son _home before she died."

He nearly hissed his whole explanation at her. Died? Cortana was... gone? Somehow, that hit Halsey. Harder than it should have. Couldn't she- like the Gravemind suggested just make more of her? No. Not exactly it would be a clean slate. Not with any knowledge the first had, and how was John taking all this? Was he breaking down? He'd been a mess, without Cortana to say the least. Before Halsey gave her to John, he was so... alone in the world. Nobody could really seem to infiltrate her world, other than herself. But had it really helped- her giving him a machine in which he found comfort?

"She died?"

Halsey asked, waiting for him to elaborate.

"She turned broken. She was messing up, and split herself into hundreds of her, with the hardlight to save the Demon and imprison the Didact."

Halsey cracked a smile. Her daughters, always seemed to do the stupid thing. Self-preservation weren't their top priorities. Not like with Halsey. Miranda.. had died protecting Sergeant Johnson. Now, Cortana died to protect John. She shook her head.

"Then, I suppose it wasn't all a waste. I could never make him another one. Cortana exceeded anything I had ever hoped for. They both did."

Even their 'mother' had been cheering for them along the way. Even now, when they were on opposing teams.. well.. with light of this new evidence, Cortana was out of the running. But John, would he face off with his mother? Only time would tell. She'd explain, that the UNSC sent that squad to attempt a threat on her life. Her arm should show him the truth rather than their lies and deceit.

"Enough talk of those enemies. I wish-"

Halsey silenced him half-way through his banter.

"I want to deal with John. That is my condition in all of this. He is not to be harmed. I don't care how many of your 'innocent' comrades die. If he gets any hostile treatment, I will not help you with anything."

Halsey stuck to her guns, for her last child.

"I have questions. You. Shall answer."

It stated, with a hiss. Why did they always do that? To look intimidating?

"Alright. Shoot."


	3. John

(Sorry for such a short chapter- I ran out of things for John...)

Chapter 3: John

Without Cortana, he felt lost. How could he go on with this? She... was gone. Halsey? What was the purpose of finding his mother now? It wasn't that he didn't wish to see her, moreas without Cortana.. it would be like he failed her- them. He _did _fail. If.. if only... he hadn't let her in those terminals.. shattering herself, in order to stop the Didact. How couldn't he have seen it coming? His fist clenched, the Gravemind.. she'd done the same with it.

"Chief.. put me in the terminal, I don't want to risk a remote detonation. If it tries anything.. I'll blow the reactors."

He didn't want to leave her. He had to, seeing as she was as stubborn if not more than Halsey, and even himself. That's what he liked about her. She could scold him worse than Halsey, all the while caring moreso for his and others safety over her own. But why... him? Why did she sacrifice herself- she could have come with him. If she copied herself, like on his previous mission. One to create the shield for the both of them.

"I'll come back for you."

He stated, and meant within every syllable and meaning of each word in that sentence. She could only smile, and with her normal sense of humor, smile and tease him even when he himself wasn't sure if he could get her back. He would find a way- anyway he could possible.

"Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it."

He heard her, on his com line, after he'd jumped. It made him shudder, but nonetheless, as if she could hear him- he nodded. Lasky had come out, breaking John's train of thought. His speech, about losing a comrade.. never being able to know what John was feeling.

"She said that to me before, about being a machine."

The statement almost made him chuckle. Even when she was dying, she still had been entertaining until her very last second.

"I was supposed to take care of you."

He felt tears sting his eyes.

"I'm not going back with you, this time.

The hurt in her voice, even a 'machine' had more emotion than he himself.

"Cortana what- no. We go together."

He wouldn't leave her. He couldn't.

"I only had enough vat, to get you off the ship. Most of me- is down there."

She explained, even with a smile on her face. Trying to be brave, for him. Shouldn't he- have been the brave one? Sacrificing himself, for her?

"Cortana... please.."

His voice was betraying him, now.. as he felt more tears. Losing his oldest, and dearest friend. Was it.. sad? That an AI construct had been his only tie to real emotion, other than saving comrades on the battlefield?

"John..."

She'd said his name, almost breathlessly. Walking over, and closing the space between them.

"I've waited so long to do that..."

She murmured, as she touched him with a slight sigh in her voice. Her face, of utter content as she touched his armor.

"I- was supposed to take care of you."

She smiled, at him- her eyes strangely enough locked into his even through his visor.

"We were supposed to take care of each other, and we did."

He saw her moving backward, as if this was goodbye.

"Cortana! Please.."

He repeated himself, his arm reaching

"Welcome home, John."

And with that, she disappeared into the hardlight. The barrier, receded and he was lost in space. Until the Infinity picked him up.

"Sir. I don't want another AI."

John stated, as he found that's what Lasky had been building up to. His new commanding officer seemed somewhat shocked, and understanding.

"If you don't, we can't force you. Doctor Halsey.. stated she would make you a new one if you wished."

John shook his helmeted head

"I will get her back. Cortana- won't get to leave me so easily. I don't know how yet, but I will get her back."

Even after her grand exit, he couldn't let her go. It was... far too hard. Lasky looked at him, in shock.

"What do you mean? She's.. gone.."

John didn't answer, he received a message in his helmet.

"This is UNSC AI serial number CTN 0452-9 I am a monument, to your sins."

Cortana? Her voice.. in his comms. But..

"Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it. John, don't keep a girl waiting too long."

He couldn't share this information with Lasky. He wouldn't understand.

"Sir. I need to make sure my armor is still intact."

Lasky nodded, as John left. What he didn't know, is that the Spartan's intent.. was to leave the infinity. Mack didn't attempt to stop him, John picked up weapons not that much. But two full clips of ammo each, grenades and a sniper rifle. He needed to acquire a ship. A sabre- he found conveniently alone. He took the ship, and left before even Mack could stop him. Patching into his comms was a great deal hard without Cortana, he wasn't used to it, without her.

"I'm on my way."

Came his reply, to her earlier messages while he flew through the stars. They were close, to somesort of installation. Whatever it was, left off some big energy signature. John landed, strapping a few weapons on, putting a robe over him this world- or whatever it was, covered in sand like a desert. He began walking, it wasn't too far. Eventually- what he found as the ground rumbled and shook, a hole gaped open as a large metallic bird came. He looked up to it, a sonic boom came, knocking his hood off he stood his ground. Friend.. or foe...?

An answer to his question, would definitely come in a few seconds as it either attacked or spoke.

**(Edit: **Yes I do not own Halo or any of the characters. Merely my thoughts and this story herein. Also; I was asked to advertise this. *Sorry, in a sense it is 'selling out'* But I'm not paid for this. It's just for a friend. :3 it's a habbo retro.)


End file.
